Lucas has been the focus of many discussions this week. Staff noticed a weeping eye several weeks ago; but examinations don't appear to show any type of eye injury. Staff clean the weepy debris from his face and it appears to show up again the next day. There are several things that can cause this: a slight infection, a weakening of the immune system and even a response to stress. There's major construction across the road from the retired pack that has been going on for some time. Staff have noticed MacKenzie a bit more irritable as well. As fall approaches we expect things to quiet down. Until then, we continue to clean his eye, and check on his physical conditon.
Archives
Shadow is doing well and has been observed in more play behavior than in previous weeks. One of the noteworthy events during the wolf checks is the morning swim. While all the wolves go in and out of the water, Shadow is the one that appears to swim the most. He frequently goes to the Center of the pond and appears to just float in the water, then runs out of the pond, shaking the water off as he runs up the hill. He has had a bit of shyness toward the feeding programs lately and the large crowds. Three mornings last week, he was served a special meal while the other wolves were locked in holding. He seemed to enjoy the special treatment. Maybe, it's the recognition this dominant wolf needs after dealing with a busy summer of strangers at the window.
Lucas seems to be doing better, although he has a bit of a stain from his weeping eye. The eye condition has improved and the stain should fade. He's resistant to staff cleaning his face. After the last time his face was washed, he proceeded to roll in the dirt to get rid of the smell. He's been very active with the cooler weather. The Workin' for Wolves program in October will be moving the den boxes out from under Lakota's pile of dirt and creating a more accessible and comfortable den box complete with new straw.
Shadow is having a great fall. He appears to be over the ear mite problem that caused him so much grief last fall. He's very social with Maya and Grizzer, often initiating play behavior. It's always good to see Shadow in a relaxed mode, as the dominant pack member, his tone will set the tone for the pack. Shadow still has an issue with the feeding program, he doesn't like to eat in front of crowds. Lately, he's been getting special feedings the day after the program, with the other wolves locked in holding. This special attention seems to improve his confidence and demeanor.
Malik seems to have toned down his testing of Shadow. This has created a much calmer exhibit and Grizzer seems to respond with more playful behavior and less redirected aggression. Shadow has very subtle ways have making his dominance known.
It's a bright sunny day today, and generally that causes MacKenzie to be a bit light sensitive of her eyes, but today she seems to be doing well. Staff did comment on a few things, the cloudiness in her right eye is more noticeable and she's really turning gray.
Maya is often photographed because of her intense eye stare. In this week's photo, she's starting a stalk up the hill to interact with Grizzer. Her focus is tremendous, you can definitely see why wolves are such successful predators with a focus and determination for the object at the end of their stalk.
So sorry for the delay in the wolf logs. Preparation for the Wolf Symposium in Colorado Springs has taken a bit of my time. In addition, protocols and contingency plans during my absence need to be written to ensure that every possible wolf emergency is covered. International Wolf Center members and former nannies, Brian and Ellen Dietz will be driving up from Illinois to spend the weekend at the Center assisting with any pack issues that may arise. I am most grateful for their offer to help keep an eye on the pack. I plan to feed a large deer carcass to both packs on Thursday night prior to my departure. A full wolf is usually a sleepy wolf. Dr Chip Hanson and wolf care staff Matt Fetterer and Jim Ziburski will be monitoring the pack as well.
MacKenzie is doing well, her winter coat is really starting to fill out. She still spends most of her time in the corner bed, although as the weather gets colder, you may find her more often in the front of the exhibit in the sun. We will be rearranging den boxes to get better access to the sun and to get away from Lakota's digging.
The males of the Exhibit pack are demonstrating some interesting behaviors. There appears to be a lot of close observations as the the vulnerability of the other males. When there's a chance to display some dominance, they take it. Grizzer takes his turn on Malik and Malik in turn looks for Shadow's weaknesses. During a recent feeding program, Shadow was showing a little intimidation towards the large crowd at the window. He held his body posture low, and appeared a bit submissive with the camera flashes through the window. Malik took the opportunity to actively drive Shadow away from the deer carcass. It appears that Shadow was able to eat later in the evening, as his belly was full and a fair amount of the deer was gone, but staff are very congnitive of the situations that make Shadow vulnerable to a Malik dominance display.
The International Wolf Center uses science-based education to teach and inspire the world about wolves, their ecology, and the wolf-human relationship.